By AUSTIN HALL
When choosing the right car whether it be new or used, there are three important factors to consider. All of them can be linked to one another through one common factor: fuel economy.
Fuel economy dictates how far one’s wallet will let him drive. The better the miles per gallon, the more affordable it is to come and go whenever one pleases. A car with low mpg may not let you go as far on a full tank, but could be more practical for ones needs.
One thing that could make less efficient cars more practical is the actual size of the car. If someone is the drummer in a band, he would need a bigger car to transport his instrument from place to place whether it be for band practice or to play a show. A car that can satisfy both needs would be a compact SUV. Something like a Ford Escape or a Toyota Highlander that will get around 20 mpg, but still has enough space for someone like a drummer.
But someone who is a college student who doesn’t have as much stuff to haul around and just needs a car to go from place to place, could buy a smaller car that gets better gas mileage in return for less space. A smaller car like a Mini Cooper or a Mazda 2.
The last thing, which can be very important, is whether or not it is a manual or an automatic. This columnist prefers a stick shift, but it comes with its advantages and disadvantages. An advantage is that, when driven correctly by shifting at lower RPMs (revolutions per minute), one can get slightly better gas mileage with a stick. But a stick shift can also be annoying.
When one just worked for seven hours on a roof, sitting through stop and go traffic on I-4 is a daunting task. With a stick shift, one’s leg starts to hurt from constantly balancing out the clutch and never getting out of second gear. It is extremely bothersome. When traffic opens up and one is able to bang through the gears shifting at 6000 RPMs, the feeling is sublime. It is the ultimate feeling of relief, its gives one’s leg the break it needed.
One could go on websites like Edmunds.com and take a free car compatibility test to find the right car, then go to somewhere like Craigslist, if one is looking specifically for a used car, or go to Carmax for a new or used car, of varying makes and models, all in one place.
Simple things can make a big difference, so when choosing a car, try to find a healthy balance between one’s needs and desires.